Rice Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan announced on Friday that Rice and adidas have agreed on a new contract that will see the company become the official apparel supplier for the Owls through the 2017-18 academic year.

"adidas made their interest in Rice very clear and we are thrilled to join their family of schools who proudly wear their distinctive branding and enjoy the benefits of their consistently innovative approach. Our student-athletes have shared their excitement about this partnership and I know our fans will be equally excited to see what Adidas has in mind," Greenspan stated.

"We are very excited to partner with Rice University and outfit all 14 teams," Mark Daniels
adidas Director of US Team Sports and Football said. "We look forward to introducing the best in performance uniforms, footwear and apparel to Rice's athletes and fans. We are anxious to hit the gridiron with Rice football this fall and will work to outfit the remaining teams, including the nationally-ranked Owl baseball program in adidas's three stripes the future."

The implementation of the agreement will be staggered over the next year, with the Owls football team changing over for the 2012 season and the remainder of the Owls intercollegiate teams making the switch during the 2013-14 academic year.

Rice and adidas will debut their partnership when the Owls host UCLA in on August 30 at Rice Stadium in the kickoff game of the 2012 football season.

adidas is a global designer, developer and marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories with the mission to be the leading sports brand in the world. Brand adidas is part of the adidas Group, a corporation that includes brands such as Reebok, TaylorMade and Rockport. adidas is the official uniform, footwear and apparel provider for more than 70 collegiate programs including Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Notre Dame, Tennessee, UCLA and Texas A&M.